Gas turbine engines typically include a plurality of combustor baskets positioned downstream from a compressor and upstream from a turbine assembly. During operation, longitudinal mode dynamics often occurs in the combustor baskets, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. The longitudinal mode dynamics usually originates at the inlet of the air flow path in a combustor basket and travels downstream to the turbine inlet. The dynamics restrict the tuning flexibility of the gas turbine engine in order to operate at lower emissions, which is an ever increasing requirement for newer gas turbines.